So I travel ( getting lost along the way)
by Ari.sakura
Summary: Sakura tries to find what works for her. All of her friends are heading toward their dream. She is determined to reach hers as well. Stumbling, falling along the way. But she will do it.


I don't own naruto or any of the characters.

I would like to give credit and thanks to pennylessz for beta reading this story and making it good.

* * *

During the summer, after graduation both Shikamaru and Choji found their soulmates. Funny enough, it happened at the hotel resort, their families had taken them to, for a joint vacation as a present.

Kids were getting ready for College. They will be moving into dorms and schedules will be far busier than in high school. So the Ino-shika-cho family, packed up and went on a fun trip, together.

To the disbelief of everyone, both boys met their soulmates, in the span of two days. Their parents were quite amused.

"Talk about being best friends," Sakura thought.

Sakura still waited, she hadn't found her special someone yet. "That's fine," she thought. She had lots of things to do anyway, she wasn't even twenty yet.

That's what she told herself, even though the majority of her friends had already found theirs. But of course, she wouldn't let that define her, she had so much to do.

When Ino came back, she kept telling Sakura all about it. About Shikamaru and Choji, meeting their soulmates. Both of them were from foreign countries, their names were, "Kurai and Temari ," Ino said. She talked about them so much, Sakura grew tired of hearing it.

In all honesty, Sakura couldn't be happier for them. When it started, Sakura listened intently, she found it interesting. However, she could only hear, the same story so many times; it got old, fast.

Ino needed to find something else to talk about. Or Sai, needed to return, from God knows where. She couldn't recall where he went, asking him hadn't been a priority, at the time.

But, Sakura knew, Ino missed him dearly. As she thought back to earlier in the day, when Ino blabed her ear off, she came to the conclusion, that Sai being gone, caused Ino to sound like a broken record.

So, perhaps, her thoughts had been a bit harsh.

That was earlier, right now, she busied herself with packing.

She should have been studying, she needed to become the something or other she wanted to be. She hadn't actually decided, what that something would be, yet.

She nodded, of course she could be anything she wanted, she had the brain for it.

With all the options, swirling around in her head, sometimes, she wanted to scream, "I don't know!" It left her stressed out. When this happened, she'd think back to her friends.

They had themselves figured out, at least compared to her. Thinking of that, never actually helped, in fact, it made her feel like drowning, but she couldn't help it.

Whenever Sakura talked to Neji and Tenten, she'd hear all about the Hyuga tradition. A lot of it happened to be, common knowledge, but Neji still gave her an earful, from time to time.

He would always talk about how, "Few females take career paths." The Hyuga didn't actively encourage women toward a career, they preferred the family path.

Thinking about it, even now, made Sakura scowl. In fact, she scowled hard whenever he brang it up, you'd think he'd get the hint.

As for Tenten, she dreamt of opening her own, martial arts dojo. Neji, fully supported her dream. They seemed right for eachother, there had to be a reason for being soulmates, not just having matching marks.

Lee had already promised Tenten, he'd be the first teacher to apply, when her dojo opened.

Lee's martial arts skills, were seriously, second to none.

Sakura had taken a few martial arts classes, they really helped her center herself, they were a great way, to release stress and emotion.

She really would miss, their runs on weekends. Lee prepped to follow TenTen; she happened to be going to Kumo, the place where Choji met his soulmate. Kumo, had the best martial arts program around.

But Sakura didn't plan to go there, so they'd be going without her.

Then there was Kiba, he had his eyes set on being a vet, like his sister, some day. His love for Akamaru, and all things canine, made it seem like a sure thing. That changed though, halfway through senior year, he just changed his mind.

"Better late than never," Sakura thought, she didn't even have anything to change her mind about.

Now Kiba, had his eyes set, on joining the Konoha police academy. Nobody could really figure out why, not a single soul, aside from Kiba, could tell you. But, it didn't seem like a joke, so no one bothered with it.

Sakura smiled a little. "Good for him," she thought. "Unexpected, but good for him."

Both Neji and Shino got accepted to Konoha U. That College happened to be local, but, considering almost everybody, planned to go somewhere else, it looked like everyone would be scattered across the globe.

Choji and Shikamaru had both applied to several universities, in the end, they were accepted by different places, when the news came out, they seemed visibly upset about it. Ino made sure, that Sakura knew that well, during her rant earlier. Sakura, of course, could already tell; they were best friends, after all.

Ino told her, where they were going though. Sakura couldn't remember, what she'd heard about Shikamaru. But she recalled Choji would go to Suna, to become a chef, he wanted to take over the family business.

She only remembered that part, because when she heard it, she felt like sweating, Suna was hot, too hot.

Sakura felt a lot of anxiety about going to College, she had no clue how she'd do, and she'd be so far from her hometown. Far away, from everything, that's familiar and comforting. She had everyone, thinking that she's confident. Well, she wasn't, not half as confident as they thought, anyway.

She thought she should probably feel guilty, for not letting others know. She couldn't afford more guilt though, not now.

The clowd of anxiety, spiraling out of control, had taken Sakura's mind off of important things. She didn't even know, where Hinata wanted to go. Hinata and her were friends, yet she didn't even know that.

"She probably, wouldn't venture far from home," Sakura thought. "The girl's an heiress. The eldest daughter, of the head, of the Hyuga clan. Her future's secure, no matter what."

This made Sakura feel bitter, Hinata didn't do anything to her, but she felt so jealous. To have a future, a secure one, just given to you. She wanted to know, what that felt like. But then, that train of thought stopped.

She shook her head. If she had been a Hyuga, she would've died, they had so many traditions, she couldn't follow all of them. "I guess, that's just how it goes."

She had plenty of time to get ready, before she set off, but it didn't feel like she did. She wasted so much time, just worrying.

She felt like a coward, her friends would disagree with her, if she ever told them. But then, that would just become an argument.

Usually, Sakaru portrayed herself with false bravado. She clung to it, she didn't want to appear weak, she didn't want to be weak.

She could admit that she's stubborn...and impulsive, and more afraid, than anyone, could ever guess.

Shikamaru, always fancied himself, to be the smart one. He'd be shocked if he ever found out; they'd been friends, all those years, and yet, even he hadn't figured her out.

To everyone else, to all her friends, Sakura looked like, a really intelligent, stubborn, brave, kind, hot tempered, model student, and a good friend.

And yet...Sakura picked up a mirror, gazing at herself.

Really, there was so much more to her.

* * *

AN: well this is just the beginning. Tell me what you think.


End file.
